Photos: KISS, Hottest Show On Earth Tour

Legendary glam-rockers KISS proved they're still the reigning kings of theater rock with a bombastic, over-the-top performance at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater on the Hottest Show on Earth Tour.

Photographer's Notes:

KISS has been on my 'bucket list' of bands since I began shooting shows. The makeup, costumes, over-the-top pyrotechnics and face-melting tunes - hands down, one of most fun and exhilarating performances I've ever photographed.

KISS was constantly hamming it up for photographers, especially the remaining original members of the band, bassist Gene Simmons and frontman Paul Stanley. They made sure that everyone got at least a frame of direct eye contact, a finger-point or an outstretched tongue thrust their way. With only the two songs to shoot, all this mugging was very welcome.

No photo pit for this show. The eight or so photographers were split into two groups and escorted to either side of the stage. I went into this gig focused on covering Gene and Paul, so I chose a spot stage-right with a clear view of both of them. Luckily, guitarist Tommy Thayer walked my way and I got some nice shots of him too. Drummer Eric Singer was positioned pretty far back which was a stretch even for a 200mm lens. My favorite moment was definitely when Gene, Paul and Tommy all rocked out at the front of the stage together.

I photographed this show with my Nikon D700 and Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens exclusively. My exposure was 1/640+ and f/2.8 at ISO 1000.

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Here's another KISS New Mexico Lottery ticket promo ice machine. This one was spotted in Corrales, just outside Albuquerque, NM.

Thanks to May Malik for sending her photo to KISSonline.

KISS Meet & Greet packages are now on sale for the following Mexican shows:

Sept 28 Monterey, Mexico - Teatro Banamex
Sept 30 Mexico City, Mexico - Sports Palace
Oct 2 Guadalajara, Mexico - 3 De Marzo Stadium

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BUY KISS Upgrade Package for Mexico City, Mexico show

BUY KISS Upgrade Package for Guadalajara, Mexico show






KISS - Meet & Greet Package

Package includes:

* Exclusive Meet & Greet with the members of KISS
* Personal photograph with KISS
* Autographed 8X10 photo
* Exclusive, Limited Edition KISS Flip Video Camera
* Specially Designed KISS Concert Shirt
* Collectible KISS Tour Poster (limited edition, numbered)
* Official Meet and Greet Laminate
* Set of KISS guitar picks
* $25 voucher to the KISS on-line merchandise store

Here's a fan-filmed clip of "Shout It Out Loud" from the Scranton show last Sunday.

KISS' Hottest Show On Earth Tour continues this week with stops in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Virginia.

August 17, 2010 Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Springs, NY

August 19, 2010 Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, CT

August 20, 2010 PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ

August 21, 2010 Jiffy Lube Live Bristow, VA

Live music portal simfy live is back in North America with KISS on The Hottest Show on Earth Tour 2010. The band has partnered up with simfy live once again to record their complete tour.

Simfy live features high-quality live audio recordings (320 kbit/s MP3) of this very tour. All live audio recordings are available on a 2-CD DigiPak or a KISS USB flash drive. Get them at the venue or order them online now at the link below.

Buy KISS Hottest Show On Earth Live Recordings

BAND PLAYING MOHEGAN THURSDAY

By ERIC R. DANTON

Photo: Gene Simmons (L) and Paul Stanley of KISS during a Mohegan Sun concert. (MARK MIRKO, HARTFORD COURANT / October 2, 2009)

Altruism is not a concept commonly associated with Kiss, the costumed hard rock band that has proudly marketed everything from Dr. Pepper to caskets.

Turns out, though, that the gods of thunder have a soft spot after all: American troops wounded overseas. For every ticket sold on its "Hottest Show on Earth" tour, a fireworks-filled extravaganza stopping Thursday at Mohegan Sun, the band is donating $1 to the Wounded Warrior Care Project, which assists military personnel who have been severely injured in combat.

"Maybe we can do what the government doesn't seem capable of," Kiss singer and guitarist Paul Stanley says by phone.

Stanley estimates the band has raised $125,000 so far on the tour, which comes in support of Kiss' most recent album, last year's "Sonic Boom."

By Alan K. Stout

If you were to look through the pages of my 1985 high school year book, you would come across a big photo of me and a friend hanging out in our journalism class. And of course, we're both wearing KISS shirts.

Looking back on those days, I think there may have been times when I wore a different KISS shirt to school five days a week. In fact, it was a tradition at our school that myself and a pretty large group of friends all wore our KISS shirts to school every Friday. I guess it was our own little version of the KISS Army, though most of the shirts we wore were from the non-make-up "Lick It Up" and "Animalize" era of the group. But our passion for that wonderful rock 'n roll band was undeniable.

For the past few days - and all of these years later - I've realized that nothing much has changed. Oh, we've all grown up quite a bit. There are jobs and families now and all of the responsibilities that come when you're no longer 17, but in the days leading up to KISS' show in Scranton last night, I know some of us felt as if we were 17 once again. And once we got there, were most certainly did.

By BRAD PATTON

Photo by Jose Hernandez, Jr

Multitudes of Demons, Star Children, Spacemen and Catmen invaded Montage Mountain on Sunday evening as the KISS Army was out in full force at the Toyota Pavilion in Scranton.

And a little bit of lingering drizzle was not going to stop the "Hottest Show on Earth."

I knew going in, deep down, it would not come close to my other encounter with the KISS phenomenon - July 1996 at Madison Square Garden with all four original members on the first reunion tour - but, the show actually came much closer than I expected.

by Michael Lello
Weekender Editor

Even in today's ultra-connected world, there are some things you just have to see to believe, things with a certain power that does not exactly translate to the screen of your TV, computer or phone.

Like a Kiss concert.

The legendary showmen and their Kiss Army descended on Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain Sunday night, bringing with them an over-the-top production that combines P.T. Barnum's circus, Broadway stagecraft, professional wrestling and a church revival, complete with more pyrotechnics than a Fourth Of July celebration, band members sailing over the stage, and, oh yeah, some massive musical performances of some of the band’s best-loved songs.

At 8:52 p.m., a giant, black Kiss banner dropped, a video preface began and we heard the familiar band introduction: "Scranton, Pennsylvania, you wanted the best, you got the best, the hottest show in the world!"

It's a ballsy statement the band has been making - and backing up - for decades.

By Patrice Wilding (Staff Writer)
Photo by Jason Farmer / times-shamrock

It's not like anyone ever accused legendary rockers KISS of needing a hand-up in the theatrics department, especially when performing live.

But on Sunday, Mother Nature stepped in earlier in the day to add some thunder, lightning and a deluge of rain as a warm-up act to the thrilling spectacle that was to come at Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain.

It was, however, going to take a lot more than some water and foul weather to douse the spirits of the KISS Army on hand last night. Fans and performers clad in shiny leather, black and white makeup and glam rock staples studs, platforms and capes, made it difficult to discern whether the people-watching was more entertaining in the audience or on the stage.

Veterans of the music scene for almost 40 years, the iconic band started their lively show for Northeastern Pennsylvania fans in a cloud of smoke, fire and sparks that whipped the crowd of thousands to their feet in a screaming frenzy of pure fun. Despite the fact that they are all well into their 50s now (guitarist Paul "Starchild" Stanley has famously had two hip replacement surgeries already), these guys still know how to party.

Check out these great photos of KISS at Jones Beach taken by our friend Jay Gilbert.

Here's a photo of the Wounded Warriors check at KISS' Scranton show. To date, KISS has raised $152,785.00 for the CSRA Wounded Warriors Care Project on the Hottest Show On Earth tour!

KISS is donating one dollar from every admission sold throughout the Hottest Show On Earth Tour to the CSRA Wounded Warriors Care Project.

Photo by Dean Snowden for KISSonline.

Here's KISS returning to the stage to bow before a wild Scranton crowd last night!

Photos by Dean Snowden for KISSonline.

Here's an interview Fox Sports Radio recently did with Gene Simmons!